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4 Hygiene Myths That Won’t Go Away

A healthy workplace relies on a proper worker hygiene. Unfortunately, many people still believe in long-disproven hygiene myths. At JAN-PRO®, our janitorial services providers hear their fair share of myths when it comes to hygiene and cleaning — myths that could lead to a serious outbreak in your workplace.

Are you concerned about worker hygiene at your workplace? If so, here are four of the most commonly believed myths about hygiene that can impact the modern workplace.

Myth 1: Soap Is Used to Kill Bacteria

A lot of people think that soap’s role is to eliminate bacteria by neutralizing germs on contact. While some products, like hand sanitizer, are capable of doing this, soap functions in a different way. Soap suds help loosen oils, debris, and other materials from our skin. With those oils, debris, and materials, it also loosens germs. Those germs then get washed away under running water.

Myth 2: You’ll Know When Your Hands Are Dirty

Many people think that it’s easy to tell when their hands need washing. But germs can live on the surface of your skin while you don’t feel a thing. It’s important to wash before and after meals, and after any time you touch a high-touch area — not just when your hands feel gross.

Myth 3: The Toilet’s the Dirtiest Spot in the Office

The inside of a toilet bowl is always the one of the germiest places in the in office, but it isn’t always the most germy place found by janitorial services. Any area with lots of moisture, plenty of human contact, or both will give a dirty toilet a run for its money in terms of germs per square inch.

Myth 4: The Five-Second Rule

Plenty of people still practice the “five-second rule,” which states that food is still safe to eat after falling on the floor, so long as it only made contact for less than five seconds. But you won’t find any janitorial services provider practicing this rule. That’s because bacteria take just an instant to transfer from one surface to another (and because no one should ever eat off the floor).

For a truly hygienic workplace, choose janitorial services that will keep your office clean from your local JAN-PRO. Call 866-355-1064 today to connect with your local office or a free estimate.